Retaking the MCAT

I’ve looked around and it seems that the scores are good for 3 years? If you get a bad score the first time many sources tell you not to retake the MCAT.
What are your thoughts?

So after three years they go away? (just curious)

The scores do not go away ever. Medical schools will see all the MCAT’s you ever took but what the three year cutoff means is that most schools will not accept MCAT scores that are older than 3 years at the time of matriculation (check with schools though, because I am not sure about the 3 or whatever years). So your best bet is to take or plan on taking the MCAT only once, then if God forbid that you do not do as well as you need to then and only then retake it. What happens is that many pre-meds think oh I will take it for practice and see how I do, but that is not good…

It seems like nothing ever “goe’s away” when it comes to medical school admissions. I think the best policy is to take practice tests and only take the real thing when you are ready.

Thanks. I can tell you when I take it, it won’t be for ‘practice’! That’s what Kaplan is for!

Yeah, that is my attitude too.
Someone made the marathon analogy on another post, and I feel like that is a pretty accurate statement. I have ran marathons before, and you just keep pushing yourself to do more and more… even though you mentally sometimes think you can’t do it. Finally, the abilities build and the confidence builds, and you can do it… although it is still a heckuva long run!!
Anyways, the MCAT seems very much like that methinks… no way I am running the MCAT until I feel like I can.